This invention relates to an apparatus for use in handling and baiting long fishing lines of the kind which are used with sea-going fishing vessels, for catching white-fish such as cod, ling, ray, turbot, plaice and haddock by the method known as "long line" fishing.
Such fishing lines have hooks spaced apart along the main line and attached to the main line by short trailing lengths of line called "snoods". The individual hooks have to have pieces of bait attached thereto, the bait-material used when fishing for white-fish usually being cut-up pieces of mackerel or herring.
In the past baiting of the hooks of such fishing lines has been carried out manually, either aboard the vessel, or even ashore. In the latter case, spare sets of fishing lines have to be provided so that spare lines can be baited by shore personnel while the vessel is at sea, so that a supply of baited lines will be available when the vessel returns to port after each fishing voyage. In that event an excessive number of fishing lines has to be provided, while in either case (i.e. using manual baiting either aboard the vessel or ashore) the manpower requirement is excessive.
Devices have been proposed for baiting such fishing lines mechanically but the devices proposed have not been found satisfactory in use. In some cases, it has been found that a line emerging from such a device has bait engaged with only relatively few of the hooks on the line; that is to say, the "success rate" of baiting is poor. In other cases it has been found that even when a substantial number of the hooks emerging from the device do have bait engaged therewith, such bait is not firmly engaged with the hooks and tends to fall off the hooks, or else that the construction of the device is such that there is a tendency for the bait to be knocked off the hooks, for example because the line has to pass through a narrow aperture as it emerges from the device.
It is therefore an object of the present invention, to provide an improved method and apparatus for baiting fishing lines.
A further object of the invention is to provide apparatus which will enable a line to be baited in a continuous operation, as it is paid out from the fishing vessel.
During fishing operations using a fishing line of the above-mentioned kind, as the line is hauled inboard, the fish may be removed from the hooks, the hooks may then be cleaned and the line with the snoods and hooks carried thereby may then be fed to a magazine, in which the line is stored until required for a further fishing operation. It is a still further object of the invention, to provide an improved form of line-magazine.